


Elfriede's Knightly Origins

by Benfrosh



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, also fantasy magic fun stuff which is always fun to figure out how to write, another d&d backstory!, plotting and treason and medieval politics funstuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:45:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8101189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benfrosh/pseuds/Benfrosh
Summary: Elfriede wakes up and prepares for the most momentous day of her life as a knight.





	

The sound of a bell chime echoed through Elfriede's head, stirring her from her sleep. She quickly opened her eyes, reflexes driving her to look around the dark bedroom. Once she had finished checking all the entryways, her brain took back control from her instinct. That wasn't her security alarm - it was just the alarm she had set so that she could wake up well before sunrise. She sighed a breath of relief. Even so far removed from her knightly training, old habits died hard.

As she rose from her bed, ruffling her short black hair and letting her long, flowing nightgown fall to the floor, she tried to collect her thoughts scattered to the wind by the alarm. She could however only think of the times she had been woken as a squire, the knights slamming the doors open to the squire's bedrooms to startle them and test their alertness. She quickly learned how to set up spells to catch their approach, as the practice intended, but she doubted the knights had expected her to ambush them with her blankets as a makeshift net when they reached her room. That had earned her some grudging respect, she remembered with a chuckle. 

She stood up and walked to the window, leaning out and looking at the forest. It had long been part of Elfriede's morning routine to take advantage of the early morning sunlight, but waking up this early meant there was no chance of that. She felt a slight pang of regret at the loss - as focused as she tried to make herself be in the morning, the beautiful view from the window was a comfortable companion. _Still, no choice in the matter when you have to get up early,_ Elfriede thought in the first coherent sentence she had formed so far. And with thought came responsibilities she had to attend. With a few whispered words and a flick of her wrist, four spheres of light flew from her hand to the four corners of the bedroom, softly illuminating the place and letting Elfriede resume her routine.

Elfriede moved to the tall oaken closet next to her bed and opened the doors. _First of all, let's get dressed._ She took out her combat gear from the top shelf in the closet - a green long-sleeved padded shirt, gray padded pants, and a pair of leather gloves and boots. Embroidered on the front of the shirt was the symbol of her rank - one of the Eldritch Knights of the Duke of Tannith, a rank of which she was proud and for which she had worked hard. She removed her nightgown and quickly put her clothes on, pulling on the gloves and boots last. To cap it off, with a few more words and an arcane gesture, she placed her hand upon her chest, suffusing her outfit with a soft blue glow briefly before it faded away. The magic was her real armor, and by far the most important part. The clothes merely prevented her from scuffing herself as she rolled about.

 _Finally, the last two parts._ Elfriede reached her hand out, open and facing down. She closed her eyes and envisioned the threads of magic around her, the many twists and turns of the aether that flowed through the world. ... Or rather, she tried to. Her skill with magic had always been the weakest part of her repertoire as an Eldritch Knight. She was skilled with the basic cantrips she had drilled for years, and knew the critical spells she needed for combat and a few tricks more. But the basic acts of magic - sensing the power around her, feeling the strands that made up what really was magic - had never gelled with her. She was able to do just enough for what she needed, and no more. At times, she doubted her ability as a true Eldritch Knight and wondered if she was really just a common soldier, but she had always dismissed those fears. Her goal as a Knight wasn't the omnipotent mastery of magic demanded of the wizards of the court - she just needed to be good enough to fight. And fight she could, and she could sense the only strand that mattered to the fight with a few more second's thought - the strand that connected her to her sword, carefully secured away in its lockbox. She mentally grabbed onto that strand and pulled, closing her hand tight around - her sword, still in its sheath. With a smile, she opened her eyes. Decades of practice never made that feel less of an accomplishment. She tied the sheath to her side. One down.

 _And the last._ Elfriede walked to the door to her room. Hanging from the door was her familiar steel buckler, the only other metal equipment she used aside from her sword. Looking at it, she thought once more of the past. She had forsaken the heavier heater shields her compatriots preferred for a smaller, lighter, and (most nontraditionally) metal shield that she could manuever more efficiently and bring to bear more quickly. Plus, most importantly, it was her choice, and she appreciated that. The ability to finally have input in choosing her arms and armor... it was the first time she had ever been able to have a say in what she wanted to do. She smiled once more, reflecting on the week of study she had spent in the library, studying the latest styles of weaponry and forging to determine exactly what sword and shield she wanted to request. She had finally settled on her now-familiar sidesword and buckler, and the Duke of Tannith had spared no expense in acquiring them, to recognize her talent as a knight and his trust in her.

And now she was going to seize control of her destiny once more, by betraying that trust and killing the Duke. 

She grabbed the buckler's grip firmly, opened the door to her room, and marched out into the halls of the castle.

Passing down the halls, she glanced at the patrollers that she passed by, giving them a firm nod and a small gesture. Each responded back in turn with the reply gesture, before turning and abandoning their post. It had taken months, but she had managed to slowly adjust the patrol schedules until a group of sympathizers were all appointed for the same shift all along the route between her room and the Duke's bedroom. Close friends, disgruntled veterans, old-fashioned rabblerousers - she had scraped the bottom of the barrel to find anyone who could help her and wouldn't rat her out for this final turning point. Nothing could stop her now.

Finally, Elfriede reached the door of the Duke's bedroom, and pressed her ear against the door. ... Nothing. She paused. Nothing should be a good thing - the Duke wasn't a snorer, and that confirmed there were no guards in there. Still, something seemed off. _... Oh well. No choice but to commit now._ She kicked the door open, charging in and hoping to end it quickly before reinforcements arrived and found her.

Inside she found - an empty bed, and a barred window. _No,_ Elfriede thought imploringly before spinning around and desperately trying to beat a hasty retreat. Before she could, however, she heard more soldiers storming down the halls and shouting the alarm - "Traitor! A traitor aims to assassinate the Duke!" _There goes the element of surprise._ Quickly, she considered her options. She had no clue where the Duke was - whatever safe space he had was known only to him and his personal guard, which Elfriede definitely was not. The forces needed for a general revolution definitely didn't exist. At best, she could die a 'honorable' death fighting for no gain whatsoever. At worst, she was also dead, but she would have achieved less than nothing first. Fighting was out.

Elfriede sighed. "It seems I've lost," she said to herself, breaking the silence for the first time since she had left her room. She dropped her sword and shield on the ground, kneeling down with her hands behind her head. That was how the guards found her as they poured in to the Duke's bedroom, before clasping her in chains and hauling her away.

That evening, Elfriede was dragged out from the prisons. She had spent the time doing meditation exercises, refusing to reflect on her failures and risking them overtaking her. Now, however, it seemed that choice was to be taken from her, as the guards dragged her up to the Duke's throne room, throwing insults at her as they pulled her forcefully. Not that she deigned to hear them. Whatever happened to her, it was going to be over soon, and dealing with rude soldiers wouldn't affect that. 

The doors to the throne room opened, and the guards tossed Elfriede in with such force that she tripped over herself and collapsed to the floor. As she tried to stand up, however, a firm hand came from behind her and forced her down on her knees once more.

"So, dear Elfriede. It's been some time since we've last had the occasion to talk."

Elfriede lifted her head to stare at the Duke of Tannith, his piercing emerald eyes glaring daggers at her from his throne.

The Duke tsked. "You were such a promising knight, you know. Strong, capable, honorable... all the makings of a member of my personal guard one day. You could have had anything you wanted, in time. So why did you rebel? Why try to sneak into my bedchambers and kill me?"

Elfriede stared back. "I feel no need to tell you. It will change nothing."

The Duke drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne. "I should have you killed. You know that, right?" he said, almost affably.

Elfriede nodded. It was only logical.

"But I have honor. I have standards. I'm not going to be a _**kinslayer**_ ," he said, spitting venom at Elfriede, "like you were planning to be."

Elfriede made no response.

"So tell me, dear cousin. Did you think you were achieving some grand noble goal by killing me?" He stood, and walked up to Elfriede, staring down at her. "Was it my brother that put you up to this? Did he think to lay claim to the throne, give you some grand appointment as a reward, and let you take the fall if it didn't work out?"

Elfriede raised her head to look the Duke in the eyes, but made no other response.

The two stared at each other for some time before the Duke finally broke contact. With a sigh, he walked back to the throne and slumped into it. "Very well, if that's how you're going to be about it. You are exiled from these lands, Elfriede. Your title and rank shall be stripped from you, and your possessions seized and returned to the throne. Tomorrow you shall be escorted to the borders of our kingdom and expected to never return. Anyone found to be sheltering you in the kingdom shall be branded a traitor to the throne, and punished accordingly. We shall, of course, give you enough supplies for you to make it to civilization. I hear the orcs are always looking to have elves over for dinner," he added with an evil grin.

Elfriede nodded. "A fair and just punishment, Your Grace."

The duke gagged. "Ugh, can you show any passion at all? This is your trial and punishment for treason. Do you not have any fire burning within you? Any passion?"

Elfriede shook her head.

"By the gods, you are the worst traitor I've ever heard of." He waved Elfriede off dismissively. "Take her away, guards, she's just frustrating me now."

The guards pulled Elfriede to her feet once more, and she walked off, taking small pleasure in seeing the Duke so unsettled at least.

\---

The next day, the guards loaded her in to a horse-drawn cart, bound her tightly, and drove off. A day of travel later that Elfriede had spent in meditation, they yanked her out of the cart, finally letting her see the sun for the first time the whole trip, pushed her to the ground, threw several bags on her, and snapped the reins, leaving her behind in a cloud of dust as they rapidly departed.

With a sigh, Elfriede wriggled out of the bindings they had placed on her wrists and undid the ones on her feet. At least they had left the clothes she was wearing, minus the embroidered heraldry they had ripped off. As she closed her eyes, she could still feel the connection to her sword, and pulled it to her side. She opened her eyes once more to see her sword and sheathe, safe and sound and undamaged. Small blessings, at least - it was safe from anyone trying to harm it or do anything unpleasant. She checked the bags the guards had left with her and found her trusty buckler, as well. She strapped the both to her sides and stopped to take a breath and take stock of her situation.

"Damn!" she finally swore, letting the anger overtake her. _Decades of slowly building up status wasted on a failed plot! Decades of friends, family, connection, gone! All because of some stupid turncoat's loose lips!_ "Damn, damn, damn! Why wasn't he in his damn room! Then maybe he'd be dead and I'd be one step closer to the throne! Only had to kill two dumbass brothers and I only got zero!"

As she finished screaming at her fate, she calmed down once more. She slapped her cheeks to recenter herself, and closed her eyes. _What to do now,_ she thought. 

She blinked her eyes open, looking at the evening sun. "Let's focus on surviving, first. There has to be work for an ex-knight around here somewhere."

**Author's Note:**

> Backstory for Elfriede, my Elvish Eldritch Knight!


End file.
